Furnaces



J. THOMAS. n ND CLOSING THE TOPS 0I' BLAST FURNAGBS.

APPARATUS PoR OPENING A Patented May 24, 1870.

Illlllll Ell.

@mentar ff ttnrn a 1 )DER 'dilated @Stabat stenti. @time JAMES THOMAS,OF PARRYVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Lenen Parent No. 103,391, dazed May 24, im.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE TOPS Ol' BLAST-FURNACES.

l'he Schedule referred to in these Lettere Patent and making part. ofthe same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES THOMAS, ot'iarryville, in the county ofCarbon and State of Pennsylvania,- have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Blast- Furnaces; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying'drawings forming part ot' thisspecification.

Figure I is a vertical longitudinal section illustratiugmy invention.

igure 2 is a detail view of the upper part of the cylinder with itsattached pipes and wings.

Similar letters 'of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish alrapparatusfor-automatically lraising and lowering the bell that closes the top ofthe furnace and distributes the stock, automatically, so `that it willbe raised to close the furnace when the pressure of the blast is on,'and be lowered when the pressure of the blast is off,'thus guardingagainst danger from explosion, when the blast is o' the furnace; and

It consists in the construction and combination of the various parts ofthe apparatus, as hereinafter more fully described.

A represents the hopper of the furnace.

- B is the bell with which the furnace is closed when the blast is onthe furnace," and which should be lowered when the blast is off thefurnace, to prevent danger from explosions. v

When the furnace is leing charged the bell B is lowered, and serves todistribute the stock evenly about the furnace.

To the apex of the bell B is pivote-d the lower 'end of the rod O, theupper end of which is pivoted t0 the end of `the lever D. The'lever D ispivoted to the standard or post E,':\nd to itsA other end is pivoted theupper end of the connecting-rod F, the lower end of which is pivoted tothe crosshcad G, the ends of which move up and down on the ways H, andto which is attached the upper end of the piston-rod I,

which passes down through a stuffing-box, and to the lower end of whichis attached the piston J, which works up and down through the cylinderK, and the movement of which raises and lowers the bell B.

In the lower end of tbe cylinder K is formed a small hole K', throughwhich the air in the lower part of the cylinder K may pass in and outfreely, as the piston J moves up and down.

Vith the upperv end of the cylinder K is connected -t-he1i1rnace,thepressure of the air may hold the piston J down and the bell B up, andwhen the blastis shutl of, the weighty-of the bell B may canse it toxdrop, raising the piston J. When steam or water 1s used the saidthree-way cock must be connected with lthe device for opera-ting thefurnace-valve in such a way that the operation of closing the said valvetol shut oti the blast will adjust the said cock to` open the connectionbetweeu the cylinder-pipe L and the discharge-pipe N, to allow the steamor water to escape or be. forced from said cylinder K by the weight ofthe bell B, and when the furnace-valve is opened to apply the blast,communication will be opened be, tween the ingress or feed-pipe M andcylinder K, to admit the steam or water to force down the piston J `andraise the bell B.

Having thus described my invention),

I ,claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination of the hopper A, bell B, connecting-rod C, lever D,connecting-rod F, cross-head G, ways H, piston-rod I, piston J,cylinder' K, and pipes, or pipe L M, .with each other to enable the bellB to be raised and lotvered automatically, by the op# eration ofapplying the blast to, or shutting it off Vfrom the furnace,substantially as herein shown and described.

2. `The combination of the hopper A, bell B, connecting-rod C, level- D,connectingrod F, cross-head G, ways H, piston-rod I, piston J, cylinderK, pipes L M N, three-way cock O, with each other, substantially asherein shown and described, to enable the" bell B to be raised and'loweredl automatically by the operations of applying the blast to andshutting it o from the furnace.

Witnesses: JAMES THOMAS.

J. I?. Rowman, JOHN R. GRAY.

